Wednesday, July 30, 2008

It's 7:00 according to the clock in my kitchen. In a mere 24 hours I'll be in the Philadelphia Airport with three overly tired children, a stressed husband, and more luggage that we can reasonably manage. Not to mention that I'll be so tired & stressed that all I'll want to do is cry.

Jason has been a hero. It's not easy getting a house cleaned & repaired (ie. spackled) prior to a move. Especially when potential tenants keep coming to see the place as we are putting the children to bed. I could happily rant about that for an hour, but I wouldn't be very happy when I was done, so why bother? I can happily proclaim how wonderful my husband is. He's taken on the cleaning while I surf the 'net, while nursing Rose and chasing the munchkins (sometimes). And when I've admitted how guilty I've felt about the unequal distribution of work he just hugged me & said he hasn't felt imposed upon by me.

So, today we wrap up all those "last of" details. Rose's last doctor's appointment/shots in the US. Turning in the last library books and paying off those last fines. Getting paperwork printed off & signed. And spending time with our wonderful neighbors. Cami's best friend in the neighborhood, Kathryn, will bring her family over for pizza tonight. We've got to eek out those last few hours with the Donners who have shown us such friendship and generosity over the past four years. And with Tim & Leslie, our upstairs neighbors who I don't even know how to say "good bye" to.

So, the end is upon us. Will I miss New Jersey as an entity? No. Will I miss many, many people, too many to list, who made the past four years worthwhile? Absolutely.

Come see us in Yorkshire! We have beds (although only one bathroom) for everyone. Just don't all come at once :)

Sunday, July 27, 2008

We are getting ready for church right now. Showers & baths almost complete (one person to go). Clothing being selected & put on. All that stuff that is important to show respect to our Father in Heaven.

As most people can tell you, Jason and I haven't been clotheshorses since we've married. Getting through grad school while being parents puts a lot of stresses on the pocketbook & clothing is the area where we could skimp most easily. But, even though we often look terrible, it's a weird sort of vanity that makes me want the kids to look good (on average).

Cami just spilled some of her special breakfast treat (mango-peach sorbet) on her butterfly- and blossom-decorated shirt. The sorbet is a lovely yellowish-orange color and some of it dropped onto her shirt, leaving an orange mark. I asked her if she was ready to change her top for church. She looked down on it & said, "No. It's pollen!"

Friday, July 25, 2008

Jason has been putting the kids to bed lately, especially Graham. He told me that he's started giving Graham back rubs to help our hyper-monkey child relax. And Graham has started to take turns, insisting on rubbing Jason's back for a few minutes. Tonight he started the routine with, "Daddy, I need to give you a rub back!"

Baby Rose is growing so big. I haven't noticed her putting much effort into rolling over, but she's done it five times today. The first three times were without an audience, although I could hear her grunting with exertion while in the next room. But when we were having some pre-bed play time, she rolled from her back to her tummy to get closer to me. I love it that she wanted to be next to me. . .baby love is the best.

Although I'll soon be struggling to keep things out of reach, I can now put her to bed on her tummy with a clear conscience. . .after all, tonight she rolled over & fell asleep all on her own.

Wednesday, July 23, 2008

The packers took away most of our things yesterday. We've got some random bits of furniture, but basically we're camping indoors. Cami & Graham are in sleeping bags in their room. Jason slept out on the futon in the living room & Rose & I snuggled up in blankets on the floor of my room.

With our house virtually empty, it somehow seems even messier than usual. It's hard to be motivated to wash & put away dishes even when we're working with the bare minimum. Even though we've got another week here, it's mentally taxing to think about cooking. I reprimanded myself this morning because I know that now is a time when it's absolutely vital that we are getting proper nourishment.

Despite the lack of housewares, we have good adventures planned for this last week in New Jersey. We'll meet my sister & her family in Pennsylvania tomorrow so that they can be introduced to Rose. Jason & I will keep our promise to the kids to go to the "train museum" one final time, while giving them play time with their cousins. The other items on that "one last time" list are the Staten Island Ferry, the "tree house library" at Princeton University's Firestone Library, and Independence Hall in Philadelphia. I think we can do it!

Thursday, July 10, 2008

When I received an email yesterday with the subject of "Visa" I was sure something annoying had made its way through Gmail's amazing spam filter. But then I realized that it came from the British Consulate in Manhattan, confirming that a nameless diplomatic office worker had actually seen my visa application and ought to give me permission to reside in England within five days. Forty-five minutes ago I received an email saying that my visa was issued; I must say that I appreciate British punctuality!